Hearts on Shuffle
by A Link Between Writers
Summary: Link is an intelligent athlete that has trouble showing others the huge geek he really is. Zelda is a gifted musician that would love to escape her life as an heiress. When these two cross paths by chance at Hyrule Academy, the order of their lives that they've grown accustomed to is put on shuffle. Together, they slowly begin to learn the formerly unfamiliar melody of love.
1. New Beginnings

**Hey guys! This is the first chapter of our new fic. We've been working on it for almost a month now, so we're really excited to finally publish it. For the first chapter we decided to put both Link and Zelda's points of views together into one big chapter. Usually, we'll just trade back and forth, but we thought that you'd like to see both of the starters (tfw accidental Pokemon reference) at the same time instead of waiting until we publish the other next week. Also, we apologize if these sound kind of similar. The POVs should start to have more individuality (hopefully) in the next chapters. Anyway, we hope you enjoy the beginning of our first story!**

* * *

 **~Link~**

"Big brother~!"

I groan and squeeze my eyes shut as my bright overhead light is turned on.

Just when I doze off again, the cruel person walks up to me and pokes my face. I turn away.

They start to shake me. I growl, but they (of course) miss the message completely.

Their torture is bearable until they do the unspeakable and rip the blanket off of me completely. "AHH! You're in your underwear you're in your underwear you're in your underwear!" they shriek, laughing hysterically.

"Aryll! What the fu–flip flop!" I yell. Great save there, Link. "Get out! I'm awake, you've done your job."

She sticks her tongue out. "I'm leaving, underwear boy. But I'm so going to tell every girl you date that you have Princess Peach underwear," she taunts, and skips out of the room.

I rub my neck and yawn. After shutting the door, I find a clean-ish shirt and jeans and change. I take a second to make my hair have that "just rolled out of bed" look instead of the "I literally just rolled out of an actual bed" look.

I grab my phone to check the time and see that I have a text. It's from Midna.

 _any news from ha yet?_

 _nope,_ I type. Then I pause. I add _it might've come today tho._ I press send.

Her reply is almost immediate.

 _check you idiot._

I smile to myself. I put my phone in my pocket and head downstairs to check the mail. I've been expecting a letter from Hyrule Academy, HA, about a scholarship I applied for at the beginning of the summer. Term starts in less than a week, so I've been getting anxious about their response.

I walk into the kitchen. Uli, my foster mother, is there making some bacon.

"Good morning, sweetie," she says kindly.

"Morning, Uli." It has never felt right to call her mom, so I've just always called her Uli.

"There's some mail for you." She wears a knowing grin as she nods towards the dining table.

My heart leaps into my throat. I force myself to calmly walk to the table and pick up the letter. As I hold it, my hands shake.

Going to HA has been my dream ever since I learned about the school. They have top notch courses, facilities, sports teams, you name it. The only way I could ever afford to go there is through a scholarship. Uli and Rusl are great to Aryll and I, but they aren't exactly…well off. Even if they were, I wouldn't expect them to pay my tuition anyway. It's something I knew I had to do myself.

For the entirety of middle school, I worked nonstop to have a 4.0 GPA and a spot on the soccer team in the hopes of a full scholarship. I know it's a stretch, but there's no reason not to have hope, right?

I carefully open the letter. I can't hear anything but my pounding heart. The letter is printed on shiny cream paper. I unfold it, and begin to read.

 _Mr. Link Hero,_

Here it is. The moment of truth. Are they pleased to inform me, or do they regret to inform me?

 _We are pleased to inform you that your scholarship application has been accepted._

I actually yell out in triumph. Uli looks up suddenly, a half smile already on her face. She rushes over and gives me a bone-crushing hug. After she lets go, I smile at her, then continue to read.

 _Your excellence in academics and athletics has been recognized by our institution, and we would be honored if you attended Hyrule Academy for this school year._

 _Term begins on the first of September, but students are able to move into their dorms on campus three days in advance. Students are permitted to bring up to three pieces of luggage. Furniture will be provided by the academy._

 _Due to your tuition status, your uniform and textbooks have already been paid for. You may pick them up at the main office when you arrive on campus._

 _Also enclosed is a map of campus. We highly recommend studying it to avoid getting lost._

 _Thank you for your application._

 _Signed,_

 _Ganondorf Dragmire (_ _Headmaster)_

 _Kaepora Gaebora (_ _Dean of Admissions)_

I feel lightheaded. I did it. I actually did it. I stumble upstairs, clutching the letter. When I am finally back inside my room, I shut the door and lean against it. I'm going to Hyrule Academy.

I pull out my phone. Midna texted me.

 _...well?_

I can barely type in my excitement. Finally, I manage to write _I'M GOING TO HA_ and send it.

Instead of texting back, Midna calls me. I answer confused.

"Hel—"

"YOU FUCKING DID IT!"

I start to laugh. "Yeah, I did."

She hangs up, but immediately texts me back.

 _i'm proud of you, you big dork._

 _thanks. I'm proud of me too._

 _shut up. don't make me regret telling you that._

 _hey, I'm just being honest._

She didn't respond after that. I'm not worried, though. It's not unusual for Midna to ignore me after I say something like that.

After the initial euphoria wears off, I realize that I have less than a week to pack and get a plane ticket to the academy. I begin to feel overwhelmed.

There's a soft knock at my door. "Hey underwear boy!"

I open the door. Aryll stands there, pouting. Before she can say anything, I scoop her up and begin tickling her. "I did it! I'm going to Hyrule Academy!" I laugh.

She squirms in my arms, giggling. "Stop! Put me down! Stop it!"

I set her down on my bed. We're both still laughing.

"Hey Aryll, wanna help me pack some stuff up?" I ask.

She looks skeptical. "Like what? I'm not packing up your underwear."

I laugh. "No, of course not. I was thinking you could help me pack up some of my posters and games."

Her eyes light up. "You mean I'm allowed to touch your posters now?"

"Just this once, yes, you can touch my posters."

She begins to bounce up and down on my bed excitedly.

I run downstairs to grab some boxes from the garage, and then we get to work. First we take down about half of the posters and carefully roll them up. Then we move on to my bookshelf, taking the books off and stacking them in a box. Finally, we reach my old entertainment center.

"You're gonna take your games, right Link?" Aryll asks.

I don't answer right away. I don't know how I could be separated from my games for a year, but someone could see them and my reputation would be ruined.

Finally, I decide to just take my handheld games. For now. If things go well, I could easily bring the rest when I come home to visit. "I'll take some of them, okay?" I tell Aryll, ruffling her hair.

She may be only 10, but Aryll is smart. She knows something is wrong. "...Okay," she says finally.

We put my 3DS and games in the bottom of a box. I feel like I should cover them up. I walk over to my closet.

Inside, I have some nice shirts, more games, and my collection. See, in about 6th grade I discovered beanies. Ever since then I've collected every beanie I could find in a collection. I have about 80 in total. I go through and take about 20 of my favorites and ones I wear most.

I must've taken longer than I had thought, because when I turn around Aryll is playing on my 3DS.

"Sorry, we can finish packing this box now."

She doesn't even look up. "After this level."

I can't argue with that. In the time it takes her to finish, I've swapped out three beanies and chosen two more to take. We put my games on the bottom of the small box and cover them up with the beanies.

We've filled two and a half boxes, so I have half a box left for extra clothes and toiletries. The letter said luggage, but suitcases are expensive. Cardboard boxes will have to do.

Aryll looks around my room. She's pouting again.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

She heaves a large sigh. "It's empty in here. I don't like it."

"Oh." I look around as well. I see what she means. My room is really small, but when I had my posters on the wall and my stuff all over the room it felt more cozy. Now it just feels barren and cramped.

I pull Aryll into a hug. She burrows her face into my shirt.

"I'm going to miss you, big brother," she says, her voice muffled by the fabric. I hear sniffs and realize she's crying.

I pat her back and we break apart. There are little tear streaks on my shirt where her face was.

"You smell warm. I'm going to miss your smell too," she says between sniffles.

I raise an eyebrow at her strange comment. "Thank...you?"

After a moment of silence, she runs away into her room. Sisters are weird.

Later that day, I do some research. Eventually I find a flight to Castle Town, the large city next to HA, on August 29. I'll arrive late that night, which will give me two full days on the campus before classes start.

Castle Town is located all the way across the country, so I'll be a long way from home. Just the thought of it makes me nervous.

I spend the next few days in a frenzy. Time crawls, but at the same time seems to fly by.

I unpack and reorganize my things again and again, but nothing much seems to change except that I unpack my 3DS and favorite game for it. I need something to do on the long plane ride. When we land, I can just put it in the large pocket of my sweatshirt. No one will ever know.

Finally, I pack up the rest of my things and tape the boxes shut. It's time for me to leave.

I say goodbye to Uli, Aryll, and Colin. Colin is Uli and Rusl's biological son. Aryll is my biological sister. We were put into foster care when I was 5 and she was 1. We're lucky to never have been separated.

Rusl is driving me to the airport. We spent the car ride there in a comfortable silence. When we arrive, he pulls up to the curb. He turns to me.

"Goodbye, son. Good luck. I know you'll do great," he says, patting me on the back.

"Thanks, Rusl. I really appreciate your support." I smile at him.

He helps me get my boxes to where they're supposed to be, and I go through the tedious process of getting to my flight.

When I'm finally seated and comfortable, I pull my 3DS out of my pocket. A quick scan of the other passengers comes up with disgruntled businessmen and a few older couples, so I'm safe and able to play in peace.

As I start up the game, my mind drifts to all of my suppressed worries about HA. I quickly replace those thoughts with game strategies. I can't let myself worry too much. It's all going to be fine.

I repeat this to myself several times until I almost believe it. Almost.

The plane takes off, and once we reach a steady altitude it feels like we're traveling in an impenetrable bubble. Rationally, I am fully aware that our bubble is in fact a machine that is drastically affected by any small malfunction, but that doesn't stop me from feeling disconnected from the world. Even though it sounds like a bad thing, I find it strangely comforting. Like I'm a third party looking at the conflicts of the world from above.

I am thankfully able to get lost in my game, and we land in what feels like no time at all. I get off of the plane and head to the baggage claim. After grabbing my boxes, I leave the airport with all three in my arms.

Somehow, a taxi notices my whistle and stops so I can get a ride to the academy. I worry about paying for the taxi, but it's a necessary expense. I have some money in the pocket of my jeans from Uli and Rusl for things like this.

We arrive at HA in a little less than fifteen minutes. After paying the taxi and grabbing my things, I begin to walk up the long brick path leading to the iron gates. This place looks exactly like a stereotypical academy. Multiple brick buildings, trees, even the gates added to the image.

Soon after entering the campus, a nice upperclassman offered to help me carry my boxes. They also helped point me towards my dorm.

After dropping my things off (my roommate hasn't arrived yet), I pull out my map to try and find the main office.

Half an hour of walking later, I had my uniform, textbooks, and schedule. I stumble under the weight of the textbooks and walk back to my dorm

When I open the door, the pungent smell of AXE body spray practically hits me in the face.

Apparently, my roommate has arrived.

* * *

 **~Zelda~**

"M-miss?"

I let out an incredibly girly sounding yawn, but I don't dare move, or even open my eyes for that matter.

"Milady?"

Now I'm annoyed. I groan like a five year old, and I wave my perpetrator away.

"LADY ZELDA!" The voice says loudly, and I feel chills as my bed covers are ripped off of me. I instinctively wrap my arms around myself, and I squint to see a legion of maids standing above me. One, who I guess was the one who was waking me up, holds my fluffy comforter in her arms. I glare, and she gulps in response.

"Sorry miss, but you really did need to get up…" she starts to say, but trails off as I continue to glare daggers at her. She lets out a small "Eep!" and she throws my covers back on my large bed before she walks over to my vanity. I raise an eyebrow as she reaches for a large, golden envelope that was sitting on the flat part of it.

"What's that?" I ask curiously. I walk over, and the maid gives me the fancy piece of mail.

When I take a closer look at the gilded envelope, I see that it's from the headmaster of Hyrule Academy, the school that I was trying to get a scholarship for. My eyes widen. Hyrule Academy was the school that every kid in Hyrule dreamed of going to. It had everything: a good education program, good arts programs, and of course, good sports teams. Rumor has it that the food is the stuff of the goddesses, too. All of the blood drains from my face as I carefully open the envelope, and I anxiously read the letter.

 _Miss Zelda Harkinian,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that your scholarship application has been accepted. Your excellence in academics and music has been recognized by our institution, and we would be honored if you attended Hyrule Academy this school year._

I just now noticed that I had been holding my breath, and I exhale. I…got in?

 _Term begins on the first of September, but students are able to move into their dorms on campus three days in advance. Students are permitted to bring up to three pieces of luggage. Furniture will be provided by the academy._

 _Due to your tuition status, your uniform and textbooks have already been paid for. You may pick them up at the main office when you arrive on campus._

 _Also enclosed is a map of campus. We highly recommend studying it to avoid getting lost._

 _Thank you for your application._

 _Signed,_

 _Ganondorf Dragmire (_ _Headmaster)_

 _Kaepora Gaebora (_ _Dean of Admissions)_

I finally finish the letter, and I stare at it for a moment in shock. This was my chance. My chance to finally gain independence from my parents. My chance to finally show the world who I really am. My chance to have a fresh start.

 _A fresh start._

In a sudden burst of happiness, I pull the maid closest to me into a tight hug. "I GOT IN!" I squeal. The maid lets out a soft laugh.

"Congratulations, Miss Zelda. Would you mind letting me go?" she asks. I jump backwards.

"Sorry!" I exclaim. I do an embarrassing little happy dance, and I rush to tell Impa the good news. I shove the door to her room open, and I basically jump on top of her sleeping form.

"Impa! Impa! I did it!" I say excitedly. She slowly opens her eyes.

"Goodness, Zelda. You're acting like a child on Din's Day," she says in a fatigue-ridden voice. I jump off of her, and she smiles. "So, what happened, now?" she asks.

"I got into HA!" I answer, barely containing my elation. She smiles even more brightly.

"I'm so proud of you!" Impa runs up and embraces me in a warm hug, making me feel like a kid again. I don't know why, but I've always loved Impa's hugs. They make you feel safe, in a way. The longer Impa hugs me, the more my initial happiness fades into sadness.

"Impa, I'm going to miss you so…" I start to say, but my words are suddenly interrupted by tears. Impa was my whole world, the person that was always there for me when my parents couldn't. When I needed a shoulder to cry on, she was there. When life got too rough, she was there. When I needed a friend, she was there. How do you say goodbye to the person who's been through thick and thin with you? Impa gives me a sad smile.

"Sweetie, I'm going to miss you too, more than you ever know." We just stand there for a while, while Impa strokes my hair and I continue to cry. Finally, I reluctantly pull away from her.

"Well, I should probably get packing…" I say to her with a sniffle.

"Alright, but come downstairs first and let me make you a celebratory breakfast."

When I leave the dining room after the delicious meal, I go upstairs and go into back into my room. When I open the door, I see that the maids are already packing for me. "Excuse me, but can I do the rest?" I ask. They comply, and they step out of my room without a word.

I look around my large room and sigh as I begin to put in my more personal belongings. The maids had already put in the essential stuff, but items related to my hobbies and interests were for me and me only to pack. I begin to put in my video games and anime, along with some merchandise from those two categories. After also putting in a few geeky accessories, I move on to posters, and most importantly, my harp and sheet music.

I put in my My Chemical Romance, Twenty One Pilots, and Panic! at the Disco posters, but leave everything else except for my Puella Magi Madoka Magica poster. After putting in a few more posters after feeling bad for leaving most of them, I pick up my delicate harp.

My harp was my my most prized possession. It was a birthday present from my mother, and it quickly became my passion. Before I knew it, I was performing in recitals and contests across the country, and sometimes even out of the country. My name became well known around the music world, and I was ranked as one of the world's top harpists.

After that small moment of nostalgia, I carefully put the harp in its case, and I select many of my favorite pieces out of my sheet music.

I spend the next few days dying of suspense. The faster the day came, the more worried I was. What if the students were mean? What if the teachers were mean? What if I didn't do well? What if I made a complete fool of myself? Those questions swirled about in my mind endlessly. Impa was (as always) there for me to confide in, and she soothed my worries. As I prepared to leave, though, I thought about how I was going to have to learn to get through life without Impa. I was a worrywart, yes, but I wasn't stupid.

Finally, the day to leave for Hyrule Academy came, and my bags were loaded into a long, black limousine. As soon as I was about to enter the back seat, I heard a feminine voice speak my name from behind.

I turn around to see my mother standing next to my father. They raise their arms, as if asking me to come say goodbye. As much as I want to just ignore them and move on, my heart says otherwise, and I run over and let them embrace me in a hug. I do the same for them. Tears sting my eyes, but I don't let them fall. I wasn't going to let my parents see me cry the day before I go off to high school. I needed to be strong.

After I pull away from my parents, I look up at my home. My home was an extremely large, brightly colored mansion that was (embarrassingly) called "The Castle of Castle Town" by everyone that got a chance to even catch a glimpse of it, earning me the nickname of "Princess Zelda" In elementary and middle school.

After one last goodbye, I buckle myself into the back seat, and the limo starts to drive away. As we turn the corner, I see that my colorful garden is in full bloom, leaving me feeling regretful that I hadn't visited it before I left. I spend the rest of the ride in silence while looking up at the many sights of the city.

When we approach Hyrule Academy, I look up at the broad gates. The campus looked surprisingly normal for an academy, but it was still beautiful in its own way. Suddenly, my bags are handed to me by the limo driver, bringing me back to reality. I say thank you, and he drives away, leaving me feeling lost and alone. I quickly sprinted into the dorm building to avoid looking like a lost puppy. I drop my stuff off, and I take a walk around the main school building.

When I open the grand doors, I see that the interior is much more modern looking than the exterior. There are at least two flat screen TVs in every hall, and the atrium sports an ornate fountain as a centerpiece. The classrooms were all large and well kept as well. As I turn the corner to go down the music hall, I run into somebody unexpected. He stares down at me, and I gulp.

"Ah, Miss Harkinian. Nice to see that you've made your way here," he says in a voice that would make even the bravest of people shake with fear.

 _Headmaster Dragmire._

I struggle to find a response. "H-hi…" I get out, and I inwardly slap myself. Nice going, Zelda. He lets out a creepy laugh.

"My my, I didn't expect that you of all people would be so shy." I feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "While you're here, would you mind answering a question?" he prompts, folding his hands.

"Uh, sure," I answer. This was going _great._

"Why did you, the rich and famous Zelda Harkinian, apply for a scholarship when you clearly could have afforded the school fees on your own?"

I freeze. That was it. The big question. I had suspected that someone would ask it some point during the year, but what I didn't expect was that it would come so soon. The truth was that I only applied to show my parents and the world that little Zelda Harkinian would not be stepped on any longer. Getting a scholarship to the world's most prestigious academy would definitely show them that I didn't need my parents' money to do something extraordinary.

My musings were suddenly interrupted as I notice that Headmaster Dragmire is looking at me with an impatient look in his eyes. I wince. Should I tell him the truth? I don't want to sound whiny and self-centered. "Well sir, the truth is…" I sigh. I guess telling just one person wouldn't hurt. "I did it to show my parents that I don't need them for everything. I'm not a child anymore. I need to do things on my own, and start doing more of what I want to do," I say sounding very sure of myself. My small burst of confidence fades away as I realize how spoiled I must have sounded.

I start to mentally berate myself as the headmaster looks pensive for a moment. After coming back from his thoughts, he smiles. I relax slightly. "Well now, that was quite the statement," he says with another chilling laugh. I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment once again. "I must say though, that must've taken a lot of courage. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the future. Farewell for now, Miss Zelda." He starts to walk away, leaving me feeling shocked. It was nice to get that off my chest, but it still felt…weird, somehow.

Soon enough, I start to make my way back to the dorms. Touring the music wing could wait until tomorrow. Opening the door carefully, I walk into the building labeled "Girl's Student Housing". You'd think they would give it a more interesting name. I sniff and catch a whiff of a hundred perfumes at once. It's mind numbing, and yet...oddly comforting. When I walk further into the lobby, I stupidly forget my room number, and I grab a list of everyone's names and numbers. I glance at the paper in my hand to verify my room number, 307.

Checking signs on the wall, I am led to a flight of stairs that leads to all of the floors in the building. When I reach the third floor, I navigate to my room. After a nervous moment of coaxing myself to move, I finally knock on the door to see if anyone's there. No response. Wait, this is my room. Why am I knocking? With another small burst of confidence, I practically throw open the door.

I don't even have a second to look at the room before something slams into me, and I am blinded by thick red hair.

It's a hug. This girl is hugging me. I rarely ever get hugs from anyone other than Impa. The one from earlier that my parents gave me was just a special case. She stops after a moment and pulls away, still holding my shoulders. "Sorry, sorry! I swear I'm not this creepy all the time. I just knew that you were new and I wanted to make you feel welcome. So, uh, welcome!" the girl laughs. She has a slight, country-sounding accent. She facepalms, and sticks her hand out at me. "Oh goddesses, where are my manners? I'm Malon."

* * *

 **Hello again! We hope you enjoyed our first chapter. Again, the rest of them won't be this long. They'll be shorter once we start trading back and forth. Please feel free to leave a review, or even follow/favorite. We'll answer any reviews in the bottom AN of the next chapter. Thanks for reading! :D**

 **~ Maki and Amashe**


	2. I'm Ready to Live, I'm Ready to Go

**Hey guys! We're so sorry for the wait, especially after the first chapter. A lot of stuff happened all at once, but we promise to do our best to stick with it in the future.**

 **This chapter will be exclusively from Link's point of view, and will be written by me, Amashe. From now on we're going to alternate between Link and Zelda each chapter.**

 **I'll stop rambling now. I hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

 **"I'm ready to live, I'm ready to go"**

 _ **~Ready to Go (Panic! At the Disco)**_

After I blink away the tears stinging my eyes from the smell, I see a boy with bright red hair standing by the empty bed on the left side. Already, he has scattered clothes and magazines all over the floor.

I'm a bit of a neat freak, so this immediately drives me crazy. When things are out of order I feel really anxious. I would take a deep breath to calm myself, but I think I'd pass out from the fumes.

"Uh...hi," I say awkwardly.

The boy just grunts, and doesn't even look at me. Friendly, aren't we?

I walk over to the window on my side and open it, gulping down the fresh air. I don't think I'll be able to stay here much longer without getting high on AXE, so I guess now is as good a time as any to put some stuff in my locker at the main building. Pulling my shirt over my nose, I grab some textbooks and rush out of the room.

After about five minutes outside, the world stops spinning and I can actually focus on where I'm going. In my impatience to get here, I studied my map at least a dozen times. I knew the entire thing by memory.

It was fairly easy to figure out where to find the freshman classes. My locker is number 1986. After a few failed attempts at getting it open, I put my books inside and shut it with a bang.

I'm dreading going back to my room. I've memorized my schedule too, so to eat up some time I start walking towards my first class. I wonder if the classrooms look as good as the pictures on the website?

Lost in thought, I am startled by a shout from a hallway away. "Open, you goddamn locker!"

No. It can't be. There's absolutely no way in the silent realm that she's here. I jog towards the source of the noise.

Finally, I see her. A smile grows on my face as I shout her name. "Midna?"

She looks up and sees me. She flashes one of her famous malicious grins. "Surprise."

"What are you doing here?" I ask, amazed.

"Going to school, what does it looks like?" She pauses and adds, "You made it sound so great that I had to do some research. Turns out they have a great music program. I applied with no actual hope of getting in, but a week ago they sent me a letter saying I had a partial scholarship. My parents paid for the rest, and well, here I am."

I shake my head, amazed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think I'd actually get in, and when I got my letter you hadn't yet. Could you imagine if I had gotten in and you hadn't? There was no way I was going to do that to you. When you got in, I just thought I'd surprise you," she said, shrugging.

I just laugh and pull her into a hug. I can't help but notice how much taller I've gotten. We used to be the same height, but now I stand at least three inches taller than her.

Midna and I spend the rest of the day wandering the campus catching up. We texted a lot over the summer, but we didn't get to see each other in person much. She got her hair dyed. It used to be a pixie cut with her natural bright orange hair, but she dyed the ends a vivid shade of teal and shaved the right side. Usually I think it looks stupid when people dye their hair weird colors, but somehow Midna makes it look awesome. Other than that, she's exactly the same.

Midna and I have been friends since the seventh grade. Around the middle of the year, she transferred to my school. I remember the very first time I saw her. We were in science, and the teacher asked to her to come up to the front of the class and do one of those cliché, "tell me a bit about yourself" speeches.

Everything was fine until the teacher asked her what she thought of her new school. "I think…" Midna had said. "I think you all can go—" Then she said something that earned her a month of detention, and me a week because I laughed.

It was in detention that we bonded and became friends. Ever since then, we've been inseparable. She and I like the same bands and have a similarly cruel sense of humor. We've had other friends too, but Midna has remained the only one who's actually stayed with me.

The sky slowly darkens around us. As we head towards the girls' dorm, I bite my lip. "Hey, Midna," I start. "I...uh, I'm really glad you're here. I was really nervous to come here completely alone."

She looks at me, and for a split second it almost looks as if her hard ruby eyes have softened a bit. She punches my arm and laughs. "Dork. You would've been fine if I wasn't here. You just might've needed more help getting your sorry a** out of trouble."

I laugh. Midna walks into the building, flashing me an evil grin. Then I'm alone. I walk back to my dorm in comfortable silence.

I pull out my key, and take a breath of fresh air before opening the door to my room. Surprisingly, the smell has faded a bit.

I look over at my roommate, who's on his bed flipping through a magazine. Now that I can actually think clearly, it occurs to me that I don't know his name. I mean, I'm fine with completely ignoring him, but I need a name to give the fire department when all the AXE in the air inevitably catches on fire.

"Hi, I'm Link. Your roommate," I say awkwardly. He grunts.

I wait a moment for him to introduce himself as well. "...What's your name?" I ask finally.

He looks at me like I'm an idiot. He grunts again and I realize that he's saying his name. It just sounds like a grunt.

"Roose?" I say. He's making me feel like the stupid one here.

"No! Groose, you dumb prick," he says. His voice sounds like a series of exaggerated grunts in different pitches. He buries his nose in the magazine, and I know our conversation is over.

As I pull off my hoodie, I picture myself talking to the fire department.

"Is anyone else in there?" they'd ask.

I'd look around and see that Groose isn't outside. "No." I would say. "We're all here."

I feel a little guilty, but only a little.

I set the hoodie on my bed, and hear something else hit the blankets. I remember that my 3DS is still in my pocket. I contemplate taking it out and shoving it in the closet, but I decide it isn't worth the risk.

After checking my phone (and seeing exactly zero texts), I fall onto my bed. My head hits the pillow and I realize how tired I am. Still in my jeans, I fall asleep almost immediately.

 **...**

The next morning, I get dressed and start to go through the papers the woman at the office gave me. Other than my schedule, I haven't looked at them much. They're mostly boring stuff, like the conditions of my scholarship, the dorm rules, and so on. The only paper that really interests me is the one about my position on the soccer team. Since I got my scholarship so late, I wasn't able to properly try out for the team. I have to have a special meeting with the coach to talk to him and show him my skills, and then I'll be allowed on the team. At the bottom, the date and time of the meeting is printed.

Oh. Oh shit. The meeting is today at 10. I check my phone to see that it's currently 9:30.

I just sit there for a few seconds, dumbfounded. I am snapped out of my daze from a loud snore from Groose, who is still asleep. I jump up and grab the first shirt and shorts I find in my drawer and run to the shower at the end of the hall.

Ten minutes later, I burst out into the hallway again. My hair is still sopping wet, but I don't have time to care. I shake it furiously before pushing my bangs to the left in what I hope looks like its usual style. I check the time again. After all of that, it's 9:45. I can easily make it there in 15 minutes.

I feel in my pocket for my keys and remember that in my hurry I left them in the dorm. I bang on the door for Groose to let me in. I would go without them, but Groose could be gone by the time I get back and then I'd be locked out until he came back.

"Groose! Open the door," I yell. I stop to listen for movement. Nothing.

"Open up. I'm already late!" I'm getting frantic now. "Please please please, I need my keys."

I check my phone. 9:50. "OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" I yell, and my voice cracks from panic. I'm causing a scene now.

Someone shoves past me. It's a kid about my height with short brown hair. He starts jiggling the knob, and after a minute the door opens. I start at him in awe, and he flashes a cheeky smile. In his hand I see a hairpin. He gives me finger guns as he passes me and walks away without a word.

I rush into the room to see Groose, still passed out on his bed. He slept through all of it. I shake my head and grab my keys before slamming the door behind me. I have just over five minutes to get to the soccer field now. If I jog I can probably make it.

Outside the air is cooler than it's been for a long time. Jogging in this weather might not be so bad. I start to run in the direction of the field, grateful I know the campus. I finally get to the field. I'm right on time, even if I am a little winded. I didn't work out as much as I should've over the summer, so I'm a little out of shape. I'm not worried about getting on the team, though. This should be a piece of cake.

I see an older man waiting near the bleachers, arms crossed. I walk over to him, giving what I hope is a charming smile. I stick out my hand and say, "Hey! I'm Link Hero. I'm here to meet about joining the soccer team?"

He ignores the handshake and raises an eyebrow. He looks me up and down. "Coach Auru," he says gruffly. "So...you're one of those scholarship kids."

I lower my hand. "That's me," I laugh, still smiling.

He seems almost freaked out by my positivity, which I find hilarious. This is something I learned from Midna. Be overly nice to make someone uncomfortable, and know that they won't point it out because, technically, you aren't doing anything wrong.

He tosses me a soccer ball and runs through the basics, and eventually moves up to more advanced maneuvers. I complete everything, only messing up once or twice. It feels great to be back on the field.

After about half an hour, he calls me back over to him. "I'm just going to be blunt about it, you're very good. Don't let it go to your head. Practice starts September 5th at 5:00 sharp, and we practice Tuesday through Friday no matter what. Welcome to the team, son."

"Thank you, sir," I say, trying to keep from sounding arrogant. Let's be honest here, there was no way I wasn't getting on the team.

I return to my dorm, tired and sweaty. Groose is still asleep. I probably should've waited to shower now that I think about it. Oh well.

I'm changing out of my dirty clothes when there's a knock at the door.

I pull my shirt down and open the door to see the boy who picked my lock earlier. Now that I can examine him more closely, I see that he has freckles and bright, light blue eyes.

He smiles at me almost mischievously, and asks, "Did you make it?"

"What?"

"Did you make the soccer team, idiot."

"Oh. Yeah I made it." I pause. "Wait, how did you know I was trying out?"

He points to my shirt, and his cheeky smile grows wider. It's an old tournament shirt from a few years back, and there's a huge soccer ball on the front and back. "...Oh," I say (stupidly).

"Nah, man, don't worry about it. I was making a bit of a stretch. It just happened to be right." He says this in a very cool tone, but seems sympathetic.

I'm not exactly sure how to respond, so he continues. "I'm Pipit. Freshman, like you, but my sister went here too, so I know a few things."

"Link. Nice to meet you," I respond. I inwardly cringe at how formal I sound.

"So, I mean you probably guessed already, but I'm on the team too. I've seen other guys on the team around campus, but you're the first one I've had an actual conversation with," he says, and jokingly rolls his eyes.

"Other than my friend, you're the first person I've had an actual conversation with, period. Even my roommate. As you saw earlier, he's a total asshole," I say. I try to mimic his uncaring demeanor, but I don't know if it's working. I don't think it is.

To my surprise, he starts laughing hysterically. "This morning was priceless. I almost didn't want to help you because it was so funny."

"Well, I'm glad you did anyway. I guess I technically made the team because of you; I was on my way to try out and locked my keys in my room." I look down at the hallway carpet.

Pipit smiles again. (Or smiles more? He never exactly stops smiling, so I don't know.) "It's cool. No big deal," he says nonchalantly.

We stand for a moment in silence before he yawns. "Well, gotta run. My sister wants to meet for lunch in town." He said this in a way that made it very clear that this was going to be a very long and boring afternoon for him.

"See ya," I say. He waves and gives one last bright smile before turning away from my room and going down the hallway.

I purposely close the door with a loud click, hoping to disturb Groose. Nothing. I'm honestly not surprised.

I settle on my bed. I just sit for a while, not really doing anything but think. Memories and ideas and weird scenarios flood my mind. I'm still in awe about Midna. Pipit seemed very relaxed and cool. And if Groose sleeps this soundly all the time, he'll be easy to ignore.

Everything's coming together in my head. My future at HA looks pretty good right now. Classes start tomorrow at 7:45, and I know I'm ready. For the first time since stepping on campus, I feel truly at ease.

* * *

 **I thought it would be nice to end on a positive note. This chapter has been in the works for a while, so I'm really glad we could finally post it.**

 **Maki's chapter is already well on its way to being posted. I'm not sure exactly when, but it will definitely be soon. We are also brainstorming a cover for the story, which will be nice (I hope).**

 **If there are any reviews, I'll answer them through a PM if I can. If not, I'll just post my reply at the bottom of the next chapter. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **~Amashe**


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